a Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Chief of Staff, Helge Brown, said a massive lifting of anti-epidemic measures in Germany early next year is unlikely.
Germany enters a full lockdown on Wednesday to tackle its high infection rates.
Brown told N-TV that he was very optimistic that the tougher measures would help reduce the numbers of new infections.
However, during the winter season, as long as there are not enough vaccines available for everyone, “we will have some tough days in the future,” he said. “Overall facilitation is highly unlikely.
The German Economy Minister, Peter Altmaier, has said that he hopes for the closure, as it is likely that the country will be able to avoid another recession despite the tougher measures.
“I hope we can prevent a complete economic standstill in the second wave of the epidemic,” he told the Deutschland Funk radio station.
Germany is set to go into strict lockdown due to the “exponential growth” in cases of coronavirus infection, with restrictions on private gatherings and closures of stores and schools.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel made the announcement in Berlin on Sunday after consulting with heads of state, saying, “We are compelled to act and we act now.”
